The Massachusetts state Senate has approved a comprehensive bill that limits the use of plastics, including stopping state agencies from buying single-use plastic bottles.
The bill, passed on Thursday, also prohibits plastic carry-out bags at stores across the state and mandates that stores charge 10 cents for recycled paper bags. Additionally, it requires straws and plastic utensils to be given only upon request and establishes a program for recycling large items like car seats. The next step for the bill is consideration by the House of Representatives.
The measure reflects a growing trend among states addressing concerns about plastics, which harm wildlife, pollute waterways, and fill up landfills. According to the U.N. Environment Programme, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks of plastic enters oceans, rivers, and lakes daily, leading to increased consumption of microplastics through air, food, and water.
A kid cools off at a fountain (Via Tim Morrison/Getty Images)
Senator Michael Rodrigues, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, described the legislation as crucial in reducing plastics, a major environmental issue, from everyday use.
Environmental groups praised the bill, which would make Massachusetts the 13th state to ban plastic bags and builds upon existing local efforts. Currently, communities representing 70% of the state’s population already have their own bans in place.
The bill also formalizes an executive order issued last year by Governor Maura Healey, who claimed it made Massachusetts the first state to prohibit state agencies from purchasing single-use plastic bottles.
